What's in a name?

I get asked alot about the significance of our shop's name: Giacomo's Groceria.  I actually discovered the name Giacomo here in the U.S.  If you've ever been to Boston's North End, you've heard of Giacomo's, a fabulous intimate little Italian eatery that  serves the best Italian food outside of my mother's kitchen.  I loved the food and I loved the name.  Then, when we discovered that I was pregnant this last time with another son, we thought of "Giacomo" and it just sounded right. But the real reason I wanted to name our store after him was because when my son was born his Dad was deployed in Afghanistan and so for the first seven months of his life he missed out on his Dad. This is my gift to him and I hope it makes up for that.  

The "groceria" part of the name is sort of made-up...What did you say?? Yeah, made-up. There is no such thing in standard Italian (as far as I know) as a "groceria". It sounds like what one would think grocery store is supposed to be called in Italian but it's actually not an Italian word.  (Some have told me it's more an Italian-American term). I decided to go with it for it's ease of pronunication but more importantly because I couldn't think of an one Italian word that best described all that we are. Besides being a salumeria (delicatessen) and a negozio di alimentari (grocery store) we are also a bar (Italian coffee shop) . All those names I felt were either too difficult to pronunce or only partially described us.

Well now you know. That's what's behind our name. Next up: Our growing list of Italian meats & cheeses.

A presto, amici!

Comments

[anna l'americana]

Ah, but had you consulted me I would have offered up "Gastronomia" but of course 'round these parts with that name you would have been known as just plain "Giacomo's" in no time. I think "Groceria" was a stroke of brilliance, and I usually hate the made-up-to-sound-like-Italian for us poor slobs who supposedly don't know the difference (like calling a single sandwich a "panini" which drives me nuts. It's so condescending and it would take so little to do it right). I only wish I was close enough to Bangor to come in and fill the void in my tummy created by your posts (oh, God, burrata - yum!)

[joe@italyville]

love the logo by the way... and Groceria is much better than Storo (what we used to call a store growing up)